The real work of the trip got under way on Monday. It started slowly as everyone found their way around. After unpacking the day before, some supplies moved around and it took a while to locate them when needed. New forms, new rules, new people and sometimes a language barrier had to be learned and mastered in a short time. But all the parts came together by the end with a total of 13 cases for the day.

It was a tough day for most patients but kids rebound quickly and the same kids who cried all morning were smiling, at least a little, before the end of the day.

Waking up from anesthesia post-op can be unsettling. Patients are disoriented for a while. “The lights are on but nobody”s home,” is a good describes how a patient looks with eyes open but not quite understanding their surroundings, on top of that add pain, nausea, and feelings of separation. Dr. Sanchez”s first case of the trip was a 2 year old boy with a grapefruit sized inguinal hernia. When he woke up post-op he was in pain, crying, and calling for his mother. It is the recovery room nurses who are the friendly, caring faces that orient and comfort them, an interim mother for a brief time. Our recovery nurses, Alma, Dolores, and Mary Kay have been outstanding and attentive to each and every patient to help them after surgery. One of the rewarding moments of each case is returning each child to his or parents.

Day 2 of our surgical mission trip was triage day. The DCSGO team was at the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center by 7 AM and the waiting room was full with patients to be evaluated. As I mentioned before, Christmas is in full swing so along with ID badges several team members and staff of the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center were issued antler headbands or Santa hats. Then one by one, patiently, each patient was seen by either Dr. Seremetis, Dr. Sanchez, or Dr. Iyer. Appropriate patients were scheduled for care or surgery.

To raise spirits Ronald McDonald and Santa Claus made a visit today. Papa Noel was a crowd pleaser. Smiles followed and the waiting time seemed to be shortened. But kids will be kids, and given a sanctuary to play most children will exercise their right to use their imagination, being transported away by action figues or pretent airplanes. While the day was long it was nice to begin our interactions with the families. Those who started with tears ended with smiles, a good beginning in itself.

Later in the afternoon, a small group went to Las Conchas to see a community supported by the Shalom Foundation. It was a bumpy drive but a welcoming place. We visited with two families, delivered some special gifts and prayers, and visited the school. It was an experience of mixed emotions to get a real glimpse of the lives and homes of those served by the Shalom Foundation, but when you find friendly smiles amidst hardship you can also see deep appreciation.

We arrive at Austin Bergstrom International Airport with tons of bags. It’s 6AM Saturday December 1, 2012. Including the bags previously assigned to Dr. Tory Meyer who had to drop out at the last minute due to an unfortunate accident with a “mean branch” that required surgery and prevented him from joining us. We are all thinking about him and wish Dr. Meyer a speedy recovery. Check-in started smoothly with the help of United Airlines, but the shear amount of baggage – 38 bags total – complicated the process that proved a headache upon our arrival in Guatemala City. But since this is the first surgical mission trip for the DCSGO team every step is still a learning process. We made a stop in Houston to pick up Dr. Les Garson.

It is a relatively short flight to Guatemala City. We descended past volcanos and through puffy clouds to a warm mountainous city. The tropical air and lush vegetation is was accented by lots of Christmas decorations. We arrived during daylight hours, but when the lights went out, we noticed that there are lights everywhere, in most of the public spaces. No snowmen or reindeer, but the Christmas spirit was welcoming.

After checking it at the Clarion Suites Hotel in Zone 10, we left for the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center for our tour and orientation meeting. It is a great facility. Based on the opinions of team members who have been on other medical mission trips the Moore Pediatric Center is a five-star facility. Bells and fireworks could be heard in the distance as we packed up to head back to the hotel, passed a city lit up for Christmas.

On December 1,2012 the first Surgical Global Outreach team of nineteen will depart from Austin, Texas for Guatemala City, Guatemala. Stay up to date with with our journey through our Global Outreach” href=”http://dcsgo.org”>website, facebook page, and twitter.

Just a quick peek into the planning process. Just before Thanksgiving the DCSGO team met to discuss all the last minute details. Bags are getting packed and everybody is getting ready. December 1 is close.